ABC is Up on Sunday, Leading for the 2nd Straight Week

Some early info on ABC's Sunday, ahead of the regular press release.

Leading the pack for the 2nd week in a row, ABC ran as the top-rated broadcaster on Easter Sunday in Adults 18-49 with a mix of repeat and originals, defeating NBC's all-original lineup by 10%, CBS' all-original line up 29% and Fox's animated encores by 83%.

· Up over the prior Sunday for the 2nd week running, ABC gained 4% in viewers and 10% in Adults 18-49 week to week. In fact despite a decline in TV usage levels for the Easter holiday, all 4 of ABC's Sunday programs were up week over the previous week in viewers and young adults.

A repeat America's Funniest Home Videos stood as the #1 regular program in the 7pm hour for the 2nd straight week in Adults 18-49, beating runner-up CBS' original 60 Minutes by 6%.

· AFV posted its best young adult number in 6 weeks - since 3/13/11.

Building sharply on its lead-in at 8pm and surging by 10% week to week in Adults 18-49, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition finished as the #2 TV series in its hour among viewers and young adults. The broad-appealing ABC unscripted show ran as the #1 series from 8-9pm with Women 18-34 and dominated its broadcast competition with Kids 2-11. Also in the hour, ABC's Home Edition outdelivered NBC's competing America's Next Great Restaurant by a definitive 4.2 million viewers and by 83% in Adults 18-49.

Growing week to week in viewers (+9%) and young adults (+7%), ABC's Desperate Housewives ranked as the #1 series in the 9 o'clock hour with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact Housewives stood as the #1 TV series on Sunday in Adults 18-49

· In viewers and young adults, ABC's Housewives turned in its strongest performance in 7 weeks - since 3/6/11.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Brothers & Sisters beat out the final hour of CBS' original movie, Beyond the Blackboard, by 46% in Adults 18-49.

· Increasing over the prior week in viewers (+5%) and young adults (+12%), ABC's Brothers & Sisters posted its top numbers since the beginning of March - since 3/6/11.

Quick Take for Sunday, April 24, 2011 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

As All 4 of its Series Post Gains, ABC is Up for the 2nd Straight Sunday in Viewers And Young Adults, Leading the Pack for the 2nd Week in a Row in Adults 18-49

Posting its Best Adult 18-49 Number in 6 Weeks, ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" is the Top Series in the 7pm Hour for the 2nd Week Running

ABC's "Home Edition" Surges by 10% Week to Week Among Adults 18-49

Sunday's No. 1 TV Series in Adults 18-49, ABC's "Desperate Housewives" Generates its Strongest Performance in 7 Weeks in Viewers and Young Adults

ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" Turns in its Best Results Since the Beginning of March

Sunday Night (7:00-11:00 p.m.)

Leading the pack for the 2nd week in a row, ABC (2.2/6) ran as the top-rated broadcaster on Easter Sunday in Adults 18-49 with a mix of repeat and originals, defeating NBC's all-original lineup by 10% (2.0/6), CBS' all-original line up 29% (1.7/5) and Fox's animated encores by 83% (1.2/4).

· Up over the prior Sunday for the 2nd week running, ABC gained 4% in viewers (7.7 million vs. 7.4 million) and 10% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.0/6) week to week. In fact despite a decline in TV usage levels for the Easter holiday, all 4 of ABC's Sunday programs were up over the previous week in viewers and young adults.

"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)

A repeat "America's Funniest Home Videos" stood as the No. 1 regular program in the 7:00 p.m. hour for the 2nd straight week in Adults 18-49, beating runner-up CBS' original "60 Minutes" by 6% (1.7/6 vs. 1.6/6).

· "AFV" posted its best young adult number in 6 weeks - since 3/13/11.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Building sharply on its lead-in at 8:00 p.m. and surging by 10% week to week in Adults 18-49, ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" finished as the No. 2 TV series in its hour among viewers (7.8 million) and young adults (2.2/6). The broad-appealing ABC unscripted show ran as the No. 1 series from 8:00-9:00 p.m. with Women 18-34 (1.4/5-tie) and dominated its broadcast competition with Kids 2-11 (1.6/6). Also in the hour, ABC's "Home Edition" outdelivered NBC's competing "America's Next Great Restaurant" by a definitive 4.2 million viewers (7.8 million vs. 3.6 million) and 83% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 1.2/3).

"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Growing week to week in viewers (+9% - 9.9 million vs. 9.1 million) and young adults (+7% - 2.9/8 vs. 2.7/7), ABC's "Desperate Housewives" ranked as the No. 1 series in the 9 o'clock hour with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact "Housewives" stood as the Sunday's No. 1 TV series in Adults 18-49 (tie).

· In viewers and young adults, ABC's "Housewives" turned in its strongest performance in 7 weeks - since 3/6/11.

"Brothers & Sisters" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" beat out the final hour of CBS' original movie, "Beyond the Blackboard," by 46% in Adults 18-49 (1.9/5 vs. 1.3/4).

· Increasing over the prior week in viewers (+5% - 6.6 million vs. 6.3 million) and young adults (+12% - 1.9/5 vs. 1.7/4), ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" posted its top numbers since the beginning of March - since 3/6/11.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 40% currently, from 36% at the same point in 2010. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 4/24/11.